NEWS Wossenseged Birhane Jemberie receives the Swedish Alcohol Retailing Monopoly’s Junior Research Award 2026. His research highlights older adults with alcohol-related problems, a growing but still relatively under-researched group. His studies show that needs differ, and that care and support must be adapted to the individual.
From left: Peter Allebeck, Professor, Karolinska Institutet; Wossenseged Birhane Jemberie, Assistant Professor, Umeå University; Runa Neely, Head of Analysis and Insights, Systembolaget.
Image SystembolagetAt the Swedish Alcohol Retailing Monopoly’s annual alcohol research conference on 21 May 2026, this year’s award recipient was announced. The award goes to Wossenseged Birhane Jemberie, Assistant professor at Department of Social Work at Umeå University. His research focuses on a growing group, older people with alcohol-related problems.
He defended his doctoral thesis in 2023 on alcohol and ageing. In his work, he studied older individuals in addiction care, their experiences, and the risks of repeated hospital admissions and mortality. The results show that older adults with alcohol problems are not a homogeneous group. They differ in terms of life situation, disease progression, and needs. This indicates that care and support need to be adapted to the individual.
– Receiving the Swedish Alcohol Retailing Monopoly’s Junior Research Award 2026 is both an honor and a great source of encouragement. I am happy and humbled by this recognition, which strengthens my motivation to continue studying alcohol use, health and living conditions among older adults, says Wossenseged Birhane Jemberie.
After completing his PhD, he has continued his research at the Department of Social Work at Umeå University. There, he studies alcohol use among older adults, including through a population study of drinking patterns among people aged 65–90 in Sweden and Finland.
– My research is based on the understanding that alcohol is not risk-free and can have negative consequences for health, care needs and well-being. At the same time, alcohol use is often embedded in everyday life, social relationships, routines and personal life stories.
His research highlights a clear complexity. For some older adults, drinking is linked to social participation and continuity. For others, it may be associated with vulnerability, illness, isolation, or changing life circumstances.
– This complexity makes it important to study alcohol and ageing with both scientific rigor and sensitivity to people’s lived experiences.
The work is also based on collaboration across disciplines. This has been an important part of the research.
– The award also reflects the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration. My work has greatly benefited from support and contributions from supervisors, colleagues, collaborators, and research environments across disciplinary boundaries.
The Swedish Alcohol Retailing Monopoly’s Junior Research Award is presented annually at the Swedish Alcohol Retailing Monopoly’s alcohol research conference.
ImageSystembolagetThe Swedish Alcohol Retailing Monopoly’s Junior Research Award is presented annually at the Swedish Alcohol Retailing Monopoly’s alcohol research conference. Photo: Systembolaget.
He also highlights the importance of the study participants.
– I am particularly grateful to the older adults who have participated in our studies and shared their time, experiences, and perspectives.
The research is also linked to work within the Gerontological Regional Database (GERDA), where issues of ageing, health, and living conditions are central.
– I hope that the award can help to further highlight the importance of research on older adults’ alcohol use, care needs, and well-being, and inspire continued collaboration within this growing and socially important field.
The Swedish Alcohol Retailing Monopoly’s Junior Research Award is awarded to early-career researchers who contribute new knowledge about the consequences of alcohol use. The winner is selected by an independent external committee.
– For the tenth year in a row, through the Junior Research Award, we want to highlight research that increases knowledge about the consequences of alcohol. Wossenseged Birhane Jemberie receives the award for his important contributions to the field of alcohol and health among older adults, says Ann Carlsson Meyer, CEO of the Swedish Alcohol Retailing Monopoly.